Information processing apparatus and audio output control method of an information processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a display, a speaker, a connector, a multi-display module, an audio driver, and an audio-output controller. The connector is configured to output a video signal and an audio signal. The multi-display module is configured to control an outputting of the video signal in order to display a part of an image on the display and another part of the image at an external apparatus connected to the connector. The audio driver is configured to control an outputting of the audio signal at the speaker and the connector. The audio-output controller is configured to control the audio driver to output the audio signal to the speaker or the connector in accordance with the state of displaying the image at the display or the external apparatus, if the multi-display module displays the parts of the image on the display and the external apparatus.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2010-019542, filed Jan. 29, 2010; theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a technique ofcontrolling audio outputs, which is fit for use in personal computersthat can output video signals and audio signals to, for example,television receivers or display apparatuses including a loudspeaker.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, personal computers, each including a High-DefinitionMultimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, have come into use in increasingnumbers. HDMI is an interface standard that enables one cable totransmit both video signals and audio signals. Any user of a notebookpersonal computer with an HDMI connector can therefore enjoy viewing, ona large screen, any high-definition TV program received through the HDMIconnector and played back by the personal computer.

As in this case of connecting a personal computer and a televisionreceiver to each other, a plurality of electronic apparatuses, eachincluding the function of displaying images and the function ofoutputting audio data, are now connected and used in combination on moreand more occasions. Hence, various methods of appropriately setting theapparatuses, to which video signals and audio signals should be output,have hitherto been proposed. (See, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAIPublication No. 2009-44253.)

If a television receiver is connected to, for example, a personalcomputer, images may be displayed on the screen of only one of theseapparatuses, or on the screens of both apparatuses. Two methods ofdisplaying images on both apparatuses are available. One is the clonedisplay method that displays the same image on the screens of bothapparatuses at the same time. The other is the multi-display method thatdisplays a part of an image at one apparatus and the other part of theimage on the other apparatus. In the multi-display method, one apparatusis primary, and the other is secondary. In the multi-display disclosedin Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-44253, for example, theaudio output is controlled, causing the primary apparatus to produceaudio.

In the multi-display method, however, the audio data will inevitablyoutput at the primary apparatus, not at the secondary apparatus whichthe user keeps his or her eyes on, if the secondary apparatus displaysthe window of a software item (application program) that is important tothe user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various feature of theembodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. Thedrawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate theembodiments and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing the first mode of using aninformation processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram showing the second mode of using theinformation processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing the system configuration of theinformation processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary function block diagram for explaining theoperating principle of the audio output control performed by theinformation processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing the sequence of the audiooutput control performed by the information processing apparatusaccording to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

In general, according to one embodiment, an information processingapparatus includes a display, a speaker, a connector, a multi-displaymodule, an audio driver, and an audio-output controller. The connectoris configured to output a video signal and an audio signal. Themulti-display module is configured to control an outputting of the videosignal in order to display a part of an image on the display and anotherpart of the image at an external apparatus connected to the connector.The audio driver is configured to control an outputting of the audiosignal at the speaker and the connector. The audio-output controller isconfigured to control the audio driver to output the audio signal to thespeaker or the connector in accordance with the state of displaying theimage at the display or the external apparatus, if the multi-displaymodule displays the parts of the image on the display and the externalapparatus.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing the first mode of using aninformation processing apparatus according to the embodiment. Theinformation processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment isimplemented as a notebook personal computer.

Assume that the information processing apparatus 1 is connected to adisplay apparatus 2 including a loudspeaker, by an HDMI cable 3, asshown in FIG. 1. Further assume that the multi-display method isperformed, whereby the liquid crystal display (LCD) incorporated in theinformation processing apparatus 1 displays a part of an image and thedisplay apparatus 2 connected by the HDMI cable 3 to the apparatus 1displays the other part of the image.

The user can move any window the application program displays on thescreen and change the size of the window as desired, by operating akeyboard or a pointing device. Thus, during the multi-display, the usercan have the window displayed at the information processing apparatus 1or the display apparatus 2, whichever apparatus he or she likes. Inaddition, the user can move the window from the information processingapparatus 1 to the display apparatus 2, over vice versa. In the caseshown in FIG. 1, the LCD incorporated in the information processingapparatus 1 displays a window “a”, by using an application program. Theuser is supposed to keep watching the LCD screen of the informationprocessing apparatus 1 while the LCD is displaying the window “a”. It istherefore desired that the loudspeaker incorporated in the informationprocessing apparatus 1 should produce audio.

FIG. 2 shows the case where the display apparatus 2 displays the window“a”. The user is supposed to keep watching the screen of the displayapparatus 2 while the display apparatus 2 is displaying the window “a”.It is therefore desired that the loudspeaker incorporated in the displayapparatus 2 should produce audio.

In view of this, the information processing apparatus 1 is configured toappropriately output the audio data to the loudspeaker incorporated inthe apparatus 1 or the HDMI connector that connects the displayapparatus 2 to the information processing apparatus 1, in accordancewith the state of displaying the window “a”. This technique will bedescribed below, in detail.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing the system configuration of theinformation processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the informationprocessing apparatus 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, amemory controller hub (MCH) 12, a main memory 13, a graphics controller14, a VRAM 14A, an LCD 15, an I/O controller hub (ICH) 16, a BasicInput/Output System (BIOS) read-only memory (ROM) 17, a hard disk drive(HDD) 18, an optical disc drive (ODD) 19, a sound controller 20, aloudspeaker 21, an embedded controller/keyboard controller (EC/KBC) 22,a keyboard 23, a pointing device 24, a network controller 25, an HDMIconnector 26, and a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) device 27.

The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the other components of theinformation processing apparatus 1, and executes various programs loadedinto the main memory 13 from the HDD 18 and ODD 19. Among these programsthe CPU 11 may execute are: OS 100 for managing resources, audio controlmanager (ACM) 150 operating under the control of OS 100, and variousapplication programs 200. The audio control manager 150 is a programthat sets the destination of the above-mentioned audio data. Further,the CPU 11 executes the BIOS stored in the BIOS-ROM 17. The BIOS is aprogram that controls hardware.

The MCH 12 works as a bridge device that connects the CPU 11 and the ICH16 to each other, and also as a memory controller that controls theaccess to the main memory 13. The MCH 12 further includes a function ofcommunicating with the graphics controller 14. The graphics controller14 is a display controller that controls the LCD 15 incorporated in theinformation processing apparatus 1. The graphics controller 14 producesa video signal from the video data written into the VRAM 14A. The videosignal, thus produced, will be supplied to the LCD 15. The graphicscontroller 14 further includes a function of outputting the video signalto an external apparatus through the HDMI connector 26.

The ICH 16 controls each device on the Peripheral Component Interconnect(PCI) bus, and each device on the Low Pin Count (LPC) bus. Further, theICH 16 is connected directly to the BIOS-ROM 17, HDD 18, ODD 19 andsound controller 20, and includes a function of controlling thesecomponents. The HDD 18 stores, for example, broadcast TV program dataand AV content downloaded via the Internet. The ODD 19 incorporates, forexample, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) storing AV content. The soundcontroller 20 is an audio source device and configured to produce audiosignals from audio data and to output the audio signals to theloudspeaker 21. Further, the audio controller includes a function ofoutputting audio signals to an external apparatus through the HDMIconnector 26.

The EC/KBC 22 is a one-chip micro-processing unit (MPU) including anembedded controller and a keyboard controller, which are integratedtogether. The embedded controller is configured to control power. Thekeyboard controller is configured to control the inputting of data asthe user operates the keyboard 23 or the pointing device 24. Even whilethe information processing apparatus 1 remains off, the EC/KBC 22operates, determining whether the information processing apparatus 1 hasbeen turned on or not. If an event occurs, making it necessary toactivate the information processing apparatus 1, the EC/KBC 22 performsa control to activate the information processing apparatus 1. The EC/KBC22 keeps the supply of power to the CEC controller 27, even while theinformation processing apparatus 1 remains off.

The network controller 25 is a communication device that performscommunication with an external network such as the Internet. The HDMIconnector 26 is a terminal, to which the HDMI cable 3 is removablyconnected. Controlled by the EC/KBC 22, the CEC controller 27 controlsdata transmit, including the transmission of various control commandsthrough the HDMI connector 26. One of the events the EC/KBC 22 shouldmonitor is the receipt of the power-on command at the CEC controller 27.The communication the CEC controller 27 performs can recognize thefunctions of the display apparatus 2 connected to the informationprocessing apparatus 1, determining, for example, whether the displayapparatus 2 connected by the HDMI cable 3 includes a function ofoutputting audio data.

The operating principle of the audio output control the audio controlmanager 150 performs in the information processing apparatus 1 includethe above-described system configuration will be explained withreference to FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the audio control manager 150 includes a prioritymanagement table 151, a coordinate management table 152, and anaudio-output switching control module 153.

The priority management table 151 is a table for managing the priorityof an application program that achieves the outputting of audio data.The priority management table 151 includes a user interface function theuser may use to set the priority of the application program. Thecoordinate management table 152 is a table for managing the coordinatesof the window displayed by an application program that achieves theoutputting of audio data. The audio-output switching control module 153is a module that sets the loudspeaker 21 or the HDMI connector 26 towhich the sound controller 20 should output an audio signal, by usingthe priority management table 151 and coordinate management table 152.

The audio control manager 150 is incorporated as permanent program inthe information processing apparatus 1. When activated, the audiocontrol manager 150 initializes the coordinate management table 152 andrequests the OS 100 to transmit an event notification when anyapplication program 200 is activated or terminated. The coordinatemanagement table 152 is initialized by setting the coordinates of thewindow that the application program managed by the priority managementtable 151 will display, to values that the coordinates never have in anormal state.

The audio control manager 150 includes two functions. One function is tocause the CEC controller 27 to communicate with the display 2 connectedby the HDMI cable 3 to the information processing apparatus 1, therebyto determine whether the display 2 can output audio data. The otherfunction is to determine whether the information processing apparatus 1is performing the multi-display by cooperating with the OS 100. Theaudio control manager 150 controls the outputting of audio data inaccordance with the window display state, if the display 2 can outputaudio data while the information processing apparatus 1 is performingthe multi-display.

When activated, the application program 200 notifies the coordinates ofthe window it has displayed, to the audio control manager 150. Further,if the application program 200 changes the window in size or moves thewindow, it notifies the coordinates of the window thus changed or moved,to audio control manager 150. On receiving the notification, the audiocontrol manager 150 updates the coordinate management table 152,recording the coordinates the window has at present.

Every time the audio-output switching control module 153 receives thesenotifications, it reads, from the coordinate management table 152, thecoordinates of the window to be displayed by the application program,which window has higher priority than any other windows whose effectivecoordinate values are stored in the coordinate management table 152.Then, the audio-output switching control module 153 determines whichdevice displays the window, the LCD 15 or the display 2. If the LCD 15displays the window, the audio-output switching control module 153controls the sound controller 20 via the sound driver 101 of the OS 100,so that the loudspeaker 21 may output the audio signal. If the display 2displays the window, the audio-output switching control module 153controls the sound controller 20 via the sound driver 101 of the OS 100,so that the audio signal may be output from the HDMI connector 26.

When notified of an event indicating the termination of the applicationprogram 200, the audio-output switching control module 153 of the audiocontrol manager 150 determines whether the application program 200 haspriority set by the priority management table 151 (or whether theapplication program 200 is one for achieving the outputting of audiodata). If the application program 200 has priority set by the prioritymanagement table 151, the audio-output switching control module 153updates the coordinate management table 152 in order to initialize thecoordinates of the window for the application program.

After updating the coordinate management table 152, the audio-outputswitching control module 153 performs the same process it did it wasnotified of the coordinates of the window changed or moved as describedabove. That is, the audio-output switching control module 153 reads,from the coordinate management table 152, the coordinates of the windowto be displayed by the application program (displaying a window), whichwindow has higher priority than any other windows whose effectivecoordinate values are stored in the coordinate management table 152.Then, the audio-output switching control module 153 determines whichdevice displays the window, the LCD 15 or the display 2. If the LCD 15displays the window, the audio-output switching control module 153controls the sound controller 20 via the sound driver 101 of the OS 100,so that the loudspeaker 21 may output the audio signal. If the display 2displays the window, the audio-output switching control module 153controls the sound controller 20 via the sound driver 101 of the OS 100,so that the audio signal may be output from the HDMI connector 26.

In the instance of FIG. 4, the application program (Application 1 [TV])for receiving and displaying that receives broadcast TV programs and theapplication program (Application 2 [BD]) for playing back the contentrecorded on a Blu-ray Disc are operating, and the Application 1 (TV) hasbeen set to higher priority than Application 2 (BD). Hence, ifApplication 1 (TV) and Application 2 (BD) are independently displayed,the audio data will be output from the side where the window ofApplication 1 (TV) is displayed. If only Application 1 (TV) isterminated in this state, automatic switching will be performed tooutput the audio data from the side where the window of Application 2(BD) is displayed. In the case where the window of Application 1 (TV) ismoved from one side to the other, the destination of the audio data willbe automatically switched.

The audio control manager 150 operates as described above. Thus, in theinformation processing apparatus 1, the control is achieved to outputthe audio data at the side that displays the window of the applicationset to the highest priority and is therefore supposed to be attractingthe user's eyes (if the display 2 has the function of outputting audiodata, while the information processing apparatus 1 is performing themulti-display).

As described above, the multi-display method displays a part of an imageat one apparatus and the other part of the image on the other apparatus.Therefore, the window of the application program set to the highestpriority may be displayed, partly by the LCD 15 incorporated in theinformation processing apparatus 1 and partly by the display 2 connectedto the apparatus 1 by the HDMI cable 3. In this case, the audio data maybe output, first from the upper-left corner of the window (defined bythe coordinates). Alternatively, the areas of the image parts may bedetermined from the coordinates and size notified from the applicationprogram, and the audio data may be output from the image part of thelarger area.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing the sequence of the audiooutput control performed by the information processing apparatus 1.

If notified of the coordinates of a window from the application program200 that achieves the outputting of audio data (YES in Block A1), or ifnotified of the termination of this application program 200 from the OS100 (YES in Block A2), the audio control manager 150 first updates thecoordinate management table 152 (Block A3).

Then, the audio control manager 150 refers to the coordinate managementtable 152 thus updated and also to the priority management table 151,thereby detecting the application program 200 set to the highestpriority and being executed (Block A4), and detecting the location wherethe window of the application program 200 detected should be displayed(Block A5).

The audio control manager 150 then determines whether the location whereto display the window detected is identical to the location to which theaudio data is now being output (Block A6). If these locations are notidentical (NO in Block A6), the audio control manager 150 will instruct,via the sound driver 101 of the OS 100, the sound controller 20 tooutput the audio signal from the location where the window detected isdisplayed (Block A7).

As has been described, the information processing apparatus 1 canappropriately set the apparatuses to which audio signals should beoutput during the multi-display.

Since the audio output control process described above can be achievedby a computer program, the computer program is introduced into acomputer through a computer-readable storage medium, thereby making itpossible to achieving advantageous effect similar to those of theembodiment.

The various modules of the systems described herein can be implementedas software applications, hardware and/or software modules, orcomponents on one or more computers, such as servers. While the variousmodules are illustrated separately, they may share some or all of thesame underlying logic or code.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a display; a speaker;a connector configured to output a video signal and an audio signal; amulti-display controller configured to control video signal output todisplay a part of an image at the display and another part of the imageat an external apparatus connected to the connector; an audio driverconfigured to control audio signal output at the speaker and theconnector; and an audio-output controller configured to control theaudio driver to output the audio signal to either the speaker or theconnector based on whether a part of the image is displayed at thedisplay or the external apparatus.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe audio-output controller comprises a priority controller configuredto set priorities to application programs, and wherein the audio-outputcontroller is configured to control the audio driver to output the audiosignal to the speaker when the display displays an image of theapplication program to which the highest priority has been set, and tocontrol the audio driver to output the audio signal to the connectorwhen the external apparatus displays the image of the applicationprogram to which the highest priority has been set.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein the audio-output controller is configured to controlthe audio driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when theimage of the application program to which the highest priority has beenset is displayed partly at the display and partly at the externalapparatus and a larger part of the image is displayed at the display,and to control the audio driver to output the audio signal to theconnector when the image of the application program to which the highestpriority has been set is displayed partly at the display and partly atthe external apparatus and the larger part of the image is displayed atthe external apparatus.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprisingan audio output detector configured to determine whether the externalapparatus is capable of outputting audio data, wherein the audio-outputcontroller is configured to control the audio driver to output the audiosignal to the speaker when the external apparatus is not capable ofoutputting audio data.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theconnector is configured to detachably connect a High-DefinitionMultimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe audio-output controller is configured to control the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the speaker when the display displays animage of a predetermined application program, and to control the audiodriver to output the audio signal to the connector when the externalapparatus displays the image of the predetermined application program.7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the audio-output controller isconfigured to control the audio driver to output the audio signal to thespeaker when the image of the predetermined application program isdisplayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus anda larger part of the image is displayed at the display, and to controlthe audio driver to output the audio signal to the connector when theimage of the predetermined program is displayed partly at the displayand partly at the external apparatus and the larger part of the image isdisplayed at the external apparatus.
 8. A method of controlling audiooutput on an information processing apparatus comprising a display, aspeaker, a connector configured to output a video signal and an audiosignal, a multi-display controller configured to control video signaloutput to display a part of an image at the display and another part ofthe image at an external apparatus connected to the connector, and anaudio driver configured to control audio signal output at the speakerand the connector, the method comprising: controlling the audio driverto output the audio signal to either the speaker or the connector basedon whether a part of the image is displayed at the display or theexternal apparatus.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling theaudio driver comprises setting priorities to application programs, andcontrolling the audio driver to output the audio signal to the speakerwhen the display displays an image of the application program to whichthe highest priority has been set, and controlling the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatusdisplays the image of the application program to which the highestpriority has been set.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein controllingthe audio driver further comprises controlling the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the speaker when the image of the applicationprogram to which the highest priority has been set is displayed partlyat the display and partly at the external apparatus and a larger part ofthe image is displayed at the display, and controlling the audio driverto output the audio signal to the connector when the image of theapplication program to which the highest priority has been set isdisplayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus andthe larger part of the image is displayed at the external apparatus. 11.The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether theexternal apparatus is capable of outputting audio data, whereincontrolling the audio driver further comprises controlling the audiodriver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the externalapparatus is not capable of outputting audio data.
 12. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the connector is configured to detachably connect aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.
 13. The method ofclaim 8, wherein controlling the audio driver further comprisescontrolling the audio driver to output the audio signal to the speakerwhen the display displays an image of a predetermined applicationprogram, and controlling the audio driver to output the audio signal tothe connector when the external apparatus displays the image of thepredetermined application program.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computerprogram which is executable by a computer comprising a display, aspeaker, a connector configured to output a video signal and an audiosignal, a multi-display controller configured to control video signaloutput to display a part of an image at the display and another part ofthe image at an external apparatus connected to the connector, and anaudio driver configured to control audio signal output at the speakerand the connector, the computer program comprising instructions capableof causing the computer to execute functions of: controlling the audiodriver to output the audio signal to either the speaker or the connectorbased on whether a part of the image is displayed at the display or theexternal apparatus.
 15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the computerprogram further comprises instructions capable of causing the computerto execute functions of: setting priorities to application programs;controlling the audio driver to output the audio signal to the speakerwhen the display displays an image of the application program to whichthe highest priority has been set; and controlling the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatusdisplays the image of the application program to which the highestpriority has been set.
 16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the computerprogram further comprises instructions capable of causing the computerto execute functions of: controlling the audio driver to output theaudio signal to the speaker when the image of the application program towhich the highest priority has been set is displayed partly at thedisplay and partly at the external apparatus and a larger part of theimage is displayed at the display; and controlling the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the connector when the image of theapplication program to which the highest priority has been set isdisplayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus andthe larger part of the image is displayed at the external apparatus. 17.The medium of claim 14, wherein the computer program further comprisesinstructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of:determining whether the external apparatus is capable of outputtingaudio data; and controlling the audio driver to output the audio signalto the speaker when the external apparatus is not capable of outputtingaudio data.
 18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the connector isconfigured to detachably connect a High-Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI) cable.
 19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the computer programfurther comprises instructions capable of causing the computer toexecute functions of: controlling the audio driver to output the audiosignal to the speaker when the display displays an image of apredetermined application program; and controlling the audio driver tooutput the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatusdisplays the image of the predetermined application program.